The Hantachou Sisters
by 14th Company
Summary: Two teenage girls find themselves in Soul Society after a freak accident. Read along as they are adopted and go through the academy to become ShinigamiSoul Reapers. Prologue to future stories that follow the Bleach time line.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- neither I (Darkangelicdemon) or my friend (Nova Salvador) own Bleach and will always regret that fact.

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** Chapter One: Waking up dead**

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Okay so here's my day so far I don't remember anything other than waking up with the sun beating at me and seeing this giant sign welcoming me to the 15th District. I had no idea where I was just that I was in a deserted town type area and I didn't know my name. Only Kay floated through my cotton stuffed thoughts. 

I got up and tucked a stray black hair behind my ear and saw a flash of a face and name, Nicole she stood tall at six feet looming over my smaller frame, long blond hair can be associated with her. Someone special to me a good friend who was near me when whatever happened to me happened. I started walking around in a daze looking for someone or something in this strange place.

I came to a building, an elevated house with front step leading in and there sat a girl with long blond hair in a daze and another flash came to me.

**Flashback**

Nicole and I were doing their after lunch walk around campus when the first shouts could be heard. Piper students tend to be loud so we continued on without thinking something might be wrong ahead of us.

As we headed to the courtyard the shouts grew louder with many voices intermingling. I looked over to Nicole who shrugged and then we continued walking with every intention of just walking away when the crowd parted and a disoriented guy with a knife clutched in his hand flew at us. He started to fall just a foot away from he tried to balance and then he sliced Nicole on the thigh along the artery. As I head over to Nicole to maybe help stop the bleeding, the guy started to get up and sliced me deeply across the stomach. Hurried voices could be heard a the black started to creep in before darkness welcomed us with open arms.

**End Flashback**

I blinked rapidly before asking myself, "What the hell was that?" Was that some memory, was I dead, and where was Nicole. Then I remembered the girl on the steps. I looked up she was still there, quickly I ran up the steps though the dazed Nicole didn't seem to notice till I cleared my throat and asked in a very quite voice "Nicole?"

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**Nicole's Day**

The room is small and wooden with only one door, which led outside to the hall. Three or four people might be able to lie comfortably around the pit in the middle use to house a small fire, or at this time, glowing coals. A small pot was simmering quietly on the coals. On the side farthest from the door a young woman with dark-blond hair lays sleeping. She was noticeably tall, the room was maybe eight feet wide and long, and a foot of space is between the walls and her head and feet.

She is still but she begins to stir her head shifting towards the warmth of the hot coals. Then at this time, and elderly woman came through the door, barely making a sound. She sat down opposite the blond teenager, and waited.

After a few minutes she surrendered to the staring eyes and woke up. Her eyes opened carefully, revealing hazel eyes, which scanned the room before landing on the old woman.

The woman smiled and said, "you're finally awake? Good! I was afraid I'd found a discarded gigai!" Her voice sounded loud and youthful in spite of her aged appearance. " I had to get two of the men to bring you here, you're a very heavy girl."

She sat up and looked at herself. It looked like she was wearing a gi, but the sleeves were cut off. They even had the look and feel of old clothing, they were soft, worn, and the colors were faded, the top was a faded red and the bottom a dark gray, like faded black. She looked at her arms and could see the whipcord muscle. She shrugged at the statement, " I can't change that truth, Ma'am." Her voice was a quiet rumble that made you want to listen to her.

" She speaks! Well, speak again girl! What's your name?" The woman asked smiling broadly.

" Nicole." She said, and was about to continue when the woman said.

" Well Nicole welcome to the 15th District of Soul Society." Her hand gestured about expectantly.

" Soul Society? 15th District? Did I get abducted by some cult? Nicole asked as she began to stand up.

" No, you died." The woman said shrugging.

" No way, lady, come on. Seriously where am I?" Nicole insisted, and walked swiftly out the door.

What she saw outside was a town filled with these ancient Japanese homes. The one Nicole had just stepped out of was a wealthier home compared to most of the homes in her viewing range. There wasn't the slightest hint of a skyscraper or even a concrete building. She sat down on the steps of the house; " There's no way? How can I be… dead?" She balled her right hand into a fist, " My weapon…" then grabbed it with her left hand, ". My cover of peace." She then rested her chin on them. "What happened?"

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** Nova Salvador: Yes, we are aware that this chapter ended up in both the first person and third person. Don't worry about it please, it's only the introduction chapter, and this is the first time Darkangelicdemon and I have written together, so we may not always be on the same page. The next chapter will be out soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- neither I ( Nova Salvador ) or my friend ( Darkangelicdemon) own Bleach and will always regret that fact.**

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**Chapter 2 : She Isn't Who I Thought She Was**

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**Nicole's POV **

It seemed like hours, sitting there on those steps trying to sort out the situation. Nothing came of it, of course, all I remembered was going for a walk with Anna-Kay. Then, after I'd given up on trying to figure out what happened, I excepted the fact that I had died. There was nothing to disprove the fact, it didn't feel anything like Florida. The climate wasn't humid and scorching like the summer that Florida had been experiencing, and not a rain cloud in sight. Instead, everything was dry and cool, with a nice breeze.

Obviously, as I was staring straight ahead over my knuckles, I was oblivious to anything other than my own thoughts for a long time. I finally remembered the old woman in the house, how I'd left her in there like that, and was about to get up and go apologize when, I heard my name, "Nicole?" I was a question, I looked up and around to see...Anna-Kay.

I stared for a moment, and she stared back, before I exclaimed, "What the hell?! You too?!"

Anna-Kay looked confused, "What do you mean 'You too'?"

I started massaging my temples, "I don't know how, but...we died."

She raised an eyebrow, " You're joking, right? You don't remember?"

"I wish I could say that I'm joking...I can't though." I said looking at her again.

"Well that makes perfect sense." She said sarcastically, rubbing her face with her hands, in frustration. A few moments later she sighed and her arms fell to her sides, "I know how we died."

I froze and looked up at Anna-Kay, she had this look of embarrassment on her face, "Do I even want to know?" I thought a moment then said, " No, I don't want too."

Anna-Kay had this exasperated look on her face, "Well, that's too bad, 'cause I'm gonna tell you anyway." She went into a long explanation, and by the end of it I was highly embarrassed, all that martial arts and self-defense training, and I was blind sided by some staggering moron with a pocket knife.

"Just some moron with a pocket knife?" I asked.

She nodded.

"We never speak of this again...agreed?" I proposed.

"Agreed." She said, nodding. She turned away and started looking around, "So, you have any idea where we are? Is this supposed to be heaven?"

"I don't know about heaven, it was introduced to me as Soul Society...Whatever that means." I replied.

Anna turned back to me, blinking, "You're joking, right?"

I shrugged, and started walking back into the house, motioning for Anna to follow me. The old woman was sitting in the same spot she was when I'd left, we sat down in front of her and introduced Anna.

"Hello, Ma'am. It's nice to meet you." Anna bowed in respect, I inwardly groaned at my early actions.

"Oh my, a young girl with manners, that's not something you see everyday." The old woman laughed long and hard. After she took a look at our faces, adorned with shock, she started laughing again. She eventually calmed herself down and said, "You may call me, Obaasan."

At this time Anna suddenly lost all semblance of manners, and said, "O-kay here's the deal. We were just sixteen..."

I cut her off, "Seventeen."

She glared at me hard, extremely annoyed, "Sixteen, and seventeen in her case. When we died at school. That's all pretty much crystal clear, but what I can't understand is how Soul Society exists. Can you...I don't know clarify that for me?"

There was a painfully long silence as Obaasan thought about it, she eventually said, "No, sorry."

Anna went red in the face and I smiled, shaking my head, 'This is gonna get ridiculous.' I thought, silently pleading the 5th.

"What about candy?" Anna asked.

"What's candy?" Obaasan asked sounding like she was joking.

Anna's left eye twitched, she apparently didn't get Obaasan's joke "Soda?"

Obaasan seemed genuinely confused at this point, "What's soda?"

"A carbonated beverage." Anna said, she looked hopeful as Obaasan thought about it.

"I've never heard about anything like that before."

Anna got up slowly, walked over to the wall, and began banging her head against it.

I shook my head at Anna, then looked back at Obaasan, "I apologize for my behavior earlier, and my friend's current behavior, Obaasan." She beamed when I called her Obaasan. "This ordeal has been...Stressful, to say the least." I was about to continue when Anna's banging increased in both volume and pace. "Aren't you finished yet?" I yelled, annoyed.

Anna's paced slowed to the point where she'd bang her head between each word. "No,thump I thump won't thump be thump finished thump until thump I thump forget thump this thump whole thump situation!" thump thump thump

I stood up and pulled her away from the wall. "Enough Anna! Your thick head is going to damage the wall!"

"Leave me to my misery!" She cried as she struggled to escape from my hold. I held fast and dragged her to her seat. She huffed and glared at me, I glared right back.

Obaasan cleared her throat to gain our attention, "I will have the servants set up rooms for the two of you ans arrange for a doctor to come by and have a look at you both, but before that, I want you to tell me your names and ages clearly."

I looked around at the shack then at Anna, finally back at Obaasan, and said, "Nicole, age seventeen."

Anna was pouting next to me, but said, "Anna-kay, age sixteen."

Obaasan looked at us for a long time before saying, "You will be staying in my household, as my granddaughters." She clapped her hands, and a hidden door in the floor opened, allowing two women to emerge. Obaasan gestured at us, smiling warmly, "My granddaughters. Prepare them rooms and get them cleaned up."

The servants bowed and led us through the door and down into a huge and ornate complex. It was like a maze and was extremely beautiful.

We were led to the baths and cleaned up. Afterwards, the same two women, who refused to speak, dressed us. We were dressed in kimonos. Anna's was dark blue with different colored butterflies winding there way up around her, mine was a dark red with black and creme colored butterflies scattered around randomly.

After, what I fell was a very long and thought out preparation, we were brought to what was a dining hall, and left there. I looked at Anna, then at the luxuriously decorated dining hall. "I don't know what to think anymore, but she is not just some old woman who lives in a tiny wooden house."

"No kidding." Anna said looking around the hall as well.

"Who is she?" I asked, as a door slid open on the other side of the hall.

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**Nova Salvador: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Hopefully it won't take as long to get the next chapter up. We'd love to get reviews to see what you, the readers like, or don't like, about the story.**


	3. Chapter 3

-1Disclaimer- neither I (Darkangelicdemon), nor my friend (Nova Salvador) own Bleach and will always regret that fact.

Nova Salvador: I'm sorry this took so long, everyone! I got lazy and couldn't concentrate on typing this up.

**Chapter 3: Parents and Names**

Anna's POV

Nicole's question hung in the air, unanswered, as the door on the other side of the room opened. Obaa came through and studied our appearance shortly then told us to follow her.

We followed Obaa through the hall to a viewing room over looking the courtyard. A pair of people sat in there taking. The talking stopped when we entered. Obaa told us to sit on the two cushions. We sat on the example of Obaa.

The man and woman in front of us were obviously a couple as they sat close and stole glances at each other. The man was by definition large though you could see that he exercised regularly and his skin was tan from being out doors. His hair was flaming red, the kind you associate with Irish, and his eyes were a bright green that seemed to quickly scan us. The woman next to him was a beautiful thin Japanese woman with her bluish-black hair swept in a bun. Her calculating eyes watched us from the moment we enter the room and continued watching us till they turned themselves to Obaa.

"Who are these girls, Okaa?" A melodious voice of the woman asked her mother, Obaa.

Obaa smiled slyly at her before saying, "These are my new granddaughters, and you're new daughters."

I looked over at Nicole who looked at me as well. One question popped in my head. 'When was all of this decided?' Not the granddaughters thing but being these peoples daughters. I wondered why, I had my own parents and family.

As I looked at Nicole I could tell she was worried about some thing. "I miss my family", she said under her breath.

I looked over to the couple, our new _parents_. "Will we ever see our own parents again?"

Obaa suddenly became angry, "What's this?! You ungrateful children, I give you a home, offer you a place in my family and you question about the families worlds away! Do you know how lucky you both are?!"

"Excuse me, who are you to say something like that? Had a nice family and friends only hours before so did Nicole were have every reason to question why, where, if, and when we'll see them again!" I yell right back at her. "Listen to me when I say that I appreciate this and so does Nicole but we are going to worry."

I had stood up during my defiance. Then I felt Nicole raised her hand to my shoulder and guide me back down to the cushion. She had her head bowed and was breathing deeply and evenly.

She looked directly at the couples that were supposed to be our new parents and said, "I come from a huge extended family, composed of all types of people. From blood relatives, to friends that became so close, you'd think they were blood. I learned a lot from that family, worlds away." She paused. "I never thought that I would be separated from them so suddenly. I doubt that Anna expected to be torn from her family so quickly either. I hope you can understand the stress we have been put through, and know that we know how excellent our luck must be for us to find such a family, willing to take us in."

They looked shocked to say the least. The man finally spoke in a deep rumbling voice, "It is hard for us to completely understand its been years since were enter the soul society. For myself nearly fifty years, my wife thirty-five and Okaa two hundred and fifty years next spring. It's hard to remember your family after you begin a life here."

Nicole continued, "That's understandable, sir, but we haven't been here for a day. How can you expect us to forget so quickly?"

"I suppose that we cannot." The woman said, "Your words are true and pure. We'll have to except that you will miss your families."

The man looked to Obaa, who looked to him. Despite the glare she fixed him he held fast until she puffed and looked to us.

"Fine, I'm sorry that I said what I did it's been many years since I died and I can't remember my first experience so I can't match yours with mine." She sighed and didn't speak again.

A cough alerted everyone to the woman as she calmly looked onto the argument. "This argument is pointless, and we must continue with the ceremony."

A loud grumbling sound brought everyone's attention to us, me in particular. "I'm sorry, is there anything to eat around here?" I asked sheepishly.

As if on queue Nicole's stomach voiced it's concern as well, "Sorry…" She said with a small laugh.

All three adults in the room looked at each other in amazement. "Girls, how long have you been feeling hungry?" The man asked gently, as if trying to not alert us to something unfortunate.

"I don't know about Nicole, but when I was being bathed I started feeling hungry." I said, looking from them to Nicole and back.

They all looked at Nicole, " I've been hungry since we were brought down from upstairs." She replied.

"What? Shouldn't we be hungry? I mean, just before we died I was about to grab some chips to eat." I said in defense and looked at Nicole, she was giving me a look that clearly said, 'Why are you saying this?'

She looked away and sighed, then looked up at the adults, " Yes, well, you said something about a ceremony,…Okaasan?"

I looked at our new father, "Will it involve food…Otousan?" I asked.

Okaa and Otou looked at each other. Okaa stood up and motioned for everyone to follow her into the next room. The room was set up for a tea ceremony.

There were seven places set, I glanced around and took a quick head count, '1...2...3...4...5...That's odd.' I thought as we all sat down. Okaa began preparing tea while Obaa began to speak, after glaring at the far door once more.

"We are here today, to adopt these two young women into our clan…The Hantachou. They are to become the daughters of Rin," she glanced at Okaa, "and Takuma." she glanced at Otou. She then looked back at us and picked up her cup of tea, "With the drinking of this tea, you will be accepting that you have been reborn to this clan and will be known only as the names bestowed upon you today by Rin and Takuma." She looked at them, "The names of your daughters?"

They whispered to each other for a few minutes, and Nicole and I looked at each other , silently wishing for this "ceremony" to be over.

Takuma spoke after they had finished their discussion, "We have decided…" He looked at Nicole, "You, my dear eldest daughter, shall be known as Hantachou Masuyo." She bowed slightly in her seated position, and he directed his attention to me, "And you, little one, shall bear the name, Hantachou Kiyoko." I decided to let the "little one" comment slide for now as my head was slightly spinning from hunger, so I inclined my head slightly in acknowledgement.

Okaa handed us cups of tea and we all drank to our rebirth as members of the Hantachou clan, and as sisters.

…to be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer- neither I (Darkangelicdemon) nor my friend (Nova Salvador) own Bleach and will always regret that fact.

** Chapter Four**

"Um… food?" Anna tilted her head to the right in a cute manner reserved for desperate measures of pure hunger.

"What did you say dear?" Obaa asked her as if she hadn't heard the question.

Anna pulled a very pathetic expression.

"What she means is… We're hungry, Obaa- san." I said folding my hands in my lap. Anna whimpered to my right and nodded her head.

"Oh that well if you must, you must." She pulled a bell out and rung it three times. Thirty seconds later a young woman rushed in with a palter of food, specifically ramen, miso and chicken. Anna quickly reached for the chicken ramen and a pair of chopsticks.

I grabbed her hand before she reached the food, "An…Kiyoko, are you forgetting something?"

"Oh I'm sorry. Thank you Obaa, Otou, and Okaa. I was blinded by my hunger." Anna bowed to the elders in the room.

"Yes, Thank you." I said bowing as well.

The bowls sat in front of the scent and steam was very inviting. Anna was in rapture at the mere sight of the food, smiling stupidly at it. With a small prayer we settled in to eat and Anna looked up at the group of elders that were mow our new family and smiled before asking, "Aren't you guys going to eat?"

Otou and Okaa looked at each other sort of worriedly and Obaa answered in a stiff voice. " No, we aren't hungry." Anna paused for a moment, then returned to food.

As we ate I'd glance up every now and then, they had been staring the whole time, amazed expressions firmly etched on their faces. I was about to say something when Anna decided to poke me in the ribs and giggle. I slowly shifted my gaze to her and poked the side of her head.

Anna gave me a pout before returning to her food. I decided to finish up my before I made any attempt to speak to our new elders, but I took one last glance at the three adults. Obaa and Okaa were speaking quietly do each other, but Otou was smiling warming in our direction. It was the kind of smile that parents used to keep their children getting to the root of whatever problem they shouldn't know.

Anna looked to me with an expression that said she saw what I did, they were keeping something form us. Before I could ask what was going on there was the indistinct clatter of voices outside the door and shadows formed outside. Then the screen opened and in entered two men.

The first to walk in was tall and had platinum hair that fell to his shoulders. His skin was tanned and his eyes were a bright blue. His clothing was rather drab in comparison to everyone else's clothes. They were gray with black trim and a single white butterfly on the corner of the hem. Overall he was very lithe and femine in appearance.

The second one to enter the room as tall and muscular, not bodybuilder just someone who prides keeping himself fit. He looked colorful in his yukata full of reds and oranges. His hair was dark and held mischief that promised something stupid would be happening in the next twelve seconds.

**12**. . The companions were still arguing . . **10** . . The darker in appearance looked over at us . . **8** . . He walks over . . **6 **. . Grabs Anna's hands . . **4** . . Speaks of eternal love between them . . **0** . . Anna hits him over the head with ramen bowl her eye twitching. I can hear her muttering about guys who can't keep it to themselves.

The first one to enter the room get up and drags the second one into his seat next to me. The one whose head Anna had damaged with her bowl, which was now cracked. He muttered a irritated tone, "They're our sisters you idiot!"

The dark haired one blinked owlishly, "What?!"

The blond shook his head then said slowly as if speaking to an idiot. " They . . Are . . Our . . Sisters . . You . . Idiot!"

The dark haired one looked like he had swallowed a brick before his head dropped to smash on the table in a dead faint.

Okaa, Obaa, and Otou were glaring at the two young men. I looked at the fainted one next to me and picked up my cup of water. I held it over him and looked at the other young man. He smirked. I poured the water on the dark haired boy.

He sprang form his seat and fell backwards in shock. I quickly put my cup down as he stared around for the culprit of his now sopping mane of black hair. He finally sat down, after a minute, with a sour look on his face.

Obaa continued to glare across the table at the two young men, but finally said, "Hideyoshi, Haruto, how kind of you to grace us with your presence. Unfortunately, you have both missed the ceremony!" Her voice had been rising steadily as she spoke.

The one identified, as Haruto looked sheepish at the very hard look Obaa gave him, Hideyoshi on the other had seemed unaffected. I looked over at Anna who was glaring at Haruto after his little stunt with her only minutes before. I could tell that this would end very badly. When Anna dislikes someone she's very aggressive.

Okaa sighed at the strange display of her now even more extend family. She cleared her throat, " Hideyoshi, Haruto I don't know what you were doing or why you're late. Met your new sisters Masuyo and Kiyoko. Kiyoko and Masuyo meet your foolish brothers."

I nodded my head to them while Anna lifted her hand and made a little wave. They nodded towards us in acknowledgment. Suddenly Haruto snapped out of his kind of revive and had a look of disbelief at what his mother had just told him, I had now decided that Haruto was extremely slow, and if I know Anna she had come up with the conclusion around the same time I had. We now had two brothers both seemed to be close one tall dark and not very smart and the other a bright haired and bright mined individual.

Anna stifled a yawned a small sign that she bored and I shared that opinion. We had come to this world with a bang and now it was all winding down. Otou started to speak about the responsibilities in the 'life' we would need to know about. Tomorrow we would meet the rest of the family and start learning what we needed to know about living in the Soul Society.

…**to be continued… **

Okay everyone please read, love, and review.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer- neither I (Nova Salvador) nor my friend (Darkangelicdemon) own Bleach and will always regret that fact.

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Chapter 5: This Isn't A Game!

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Anna's POV

Nicole and I were brought to our respective rooms, and I quickly assessed my own room. It ad white washed walls, a wardrobe, a corner desk, a dresser, and in the middle of the room was a futon which looked rather comfortable at that time. After further investigation, I realized that our rooms were connected by a small sitting room, which had a table with four cushions around it. I went to the conjoining door and opened it to see how Nicole was faring.

Her room was bigger than mine, but had practically the same things in it that mine did. She was currently examining the futon on the floor, it was about the same size as mine, but roomy to me was actually too small for her. She didn't notice me as she huffed at the futon and crossed over to her desk. "Screw it." she said to herself angrily as she spun the chair around on one leg and sat in it. She had leaned back, crossed her arms, and closed her eyes without realizing that someone was at the door. "This will do just as well…For now."

I laughed at her rather uncharacteristically childish behavior from the doorway, she glared in my direction, but her features quickly changed into a smug smirk. "Did you enjoy my performance, 'Kiyoko-chan'?"

"Yes, very masterful." I replied with a hint of mock sarcasm. "Can you believe we have to be prim and proper little princesses?"

She looked at me with a confused expression, "Who said that?" She leaned her chair forward so that it was on all four legs.

I thought for a second, "Well, no one, but you know that's what they want. I closed the door behind me and sat down on the rejected futon.

Nicole looked up at the ceiling in deep thought, a hint of nervousness crossed her face, and her heel started tapping the floor. It was a while before she spoke again, "Can you do it?" She finally asked, looking at me seriously.

After all that thinking that was what she came up with, my temper was starting to get the better of me, "What the hell do you mean?!" I snapped at her. "Can you do it?!" I then shot back.

She leaned her chair back, "I guess I'll have to do it. I mean, why blow this nice set up?" She gestured around at the room. "I'm sure we won't be here forever, and I'm even surer that we won't have to act proper all the time. Look at Hideyoshi and Haruto. Hideyoshi is obviously a con-artist and Haruto is an idiot." She paused for a second, "Just think of it as a game."

"So what we have to do is just pretend…Hold up!" She almost had me. "This isn't a game! We can't just…" I'd jumped to my feet.

Nicole had jumped up too, knocking over her chair. "What do you suggest then?!" She snapped at me, "This is the only card I've got up my sleeve right now, so I'm going to play it!"

I turned on my heel, and stomped off back towards the room that connected our rooms.

I heard her sigh, "What you do is your call, but that's the only way I see things going smoothly." She'd calmed her voice and sounded almost apologetic.

I still didn't reply.

I heard her pick up her chair, sit down in it, and the thump of it hitting the desk as she leaned back again, "Oyasuminasai. Good night."

"Oyasuminasai." I replied as I opened the door and closed it behind me.

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Nova: Alright! Chapter 5 is finished! The next few are already written out, I just have to type and edit. That means they should be posted soon. Please review, it makes us here in 14th Company smile, and want to post faster. 


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